Connect with:

Standard Blog Whole Post

By Marie Scott

Staying at a hotel on the island of Jersey some years ago, I was asked by the son of the lady proprietor how I liked to start my day. “Well, I suppose a glass of champagne is always nice,” I replied. “What a good idea,” he said, and disappeared into the cellar and returned with a bottle of Dom Perignon.

I never found out what his mother made of this act of wanton indulgence, which is perhaps as well, but I have retained fond memories of Jersey ever since, and of course of Dom Perignon.

And as the Season gets into its swing, many more will be starting, and finishing, their days with a glass of bubbly, and this year with pink champagne in particular. Once the stuff of romantic novels, nightclubs, and the nouveau rich, there are now many fine releases of rosé champagne and a new one has just come onto the UK market in time for this summer’s occasions.

It is from that grand champagne house, Louis Roederer, and is the Cristal Rosé 2006. It took one hundred years after the creation of the first Cristal champagne before a rosé cuvée was produced by this house, in 1974, and others have only come along in the intervening years when the harvest was exactly right.

“Cristal Rosé is only made when the conditions are perfect,” says Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, executive vice-president and chef de cave at Roederer. “The grapes have to have reached perfect maturity to be right for a great rosé, only attained in very good years, and as achieved in 2006.”

It may be found at Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, plus selected independent wine merchants, price £495.

Ruinart, the oldest champagne house, took to rosé early in its long history, producing its first shipment in 1764. This came about in response to a customer specifically asking for something different from white champagne.

There have always been difficult customers. After early trials, a blend of white and red wines created the delicate pink to be found in the Ruinart Rosé and Dom Ruinart Rosé.

From Berry Bros & Rudd, and other fine wine merchants, a bottle of the 1998 Dom Ruinart Rosé is £225.

cattierCattier, a prestigious, family-owned champagne house, credits female drinkers with the rise in popularity of pink fizz and not just because they like pink. “They have liked prosecco,” marketing director Philippe Bienvue maintains, “but are moving on and looking for less sweet wine. The rosé is slightly sweeter than the dry champagnes they may have tried, so they prefer that. This is the case for younger drinkers but not with older women. They are more sophisticated and are used to a dryer champagne.” The Cattier Glamour Rosé is semi sweet. For those looking to limit their sugar intake, and financial out-take, Cattier’s Brut Absolu has zero dosage, and retails around £52.

Another name not so well known in the UK is Gratien & Meyer, yet their fizz has been popular here for over a hundred years through The Wine Society. It is the Society’s longest continuous supplier, and members have continued to like their champagne, sold to them under the Society’s own label. For those who don’t know of the Society, it is the oldest wine cooperative and aims to find quality wines to sell to members at a fair price. Life membership, which comes with a share in the Society, is £40.

The Saumur Rosé Brut pink champagne from Gratien is £35, the demi-sec white at £32.

A champagne favoured in the John Lewis gift department is Nicolas Feuillatte, a youngster in the champagne hierarchy but well respected. Great for summer picnic hampers is its neat little quarter bottle that comes with its own black ‘jacket’, with strap handle, or for the rosé, a shocking pink zippered jacket. The Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d’Or Rosé Vintage 750 ml is £120, and competes with other prettily gift boxed pinks at the store, including Bollinger’s La Grande Annee Rosé and Taittinger’s Hollographic Rosé, various sizes available.

Rosé Sauvage is the pink choice from Piper Heidsieck. This grande maison is celebrating its 21st year as Official Champagne Supplier at the Cannes Film Festival with a make-over for its classic Brut NV bottle in the style of a black tie and jacket. It has a long history of being popular in the cinema world, from early films through to Marilyn Monroe, who said she started the day with a glass of Piper-Heidsieck.

The black tie bottles are on sale from May at around £36. The pink is £31.50 from thechampagnecompany.com online and through other retailers.

By Marie Scott Staying at a hotel on

If there isn’t a technical term for an obsession with timepieces, there really should be. In these rather parlous times when, if you ask someone for the time, they very often reach for their mobile phone instead of consulting their wrist.

Since the earliest timepiece was created, humankind has had a fascination with capturing and perhaps, regretting the passage of time. Around the neck, set into a rock crystal cylinder in pairs of cufflinks, strewn across waistcoat pockets, nestling in a top pocket attached by a chain to the floral buttonhole and of course around the wrist, where it seems to have settled – mobile phone consulting apart. It has been quite a journey.

The art of watchmaking is appreciated the world over and even the ubiquity of quartz and battery cannot eclipse the lure of the consciously wound – or indeed the magic of automatic – a heartbeat on your wrist, adding more time-fuel with every movement.

The most respected brands are scions of good taste and judicious judgement. Somehow the price of a luxury watch from, say, Bond Street does not shock in the way a designer dress often does. The reason is clarity itself. Whilst, of course, a beautiful gown is constructed with often genius and prepared by many expert hands, it lacks the actual ‘life’, a vivacity which makes a great watch not only covetable but something one wonders why it has not always been there.

This year’s clutch of the most elegant and noteworthy examples, naturally one might say, includes all the usual suspects. And what beautiful suspects they are, each with that instantly recognisable provenance and style credentials and whilst it may be a competitive market, each maker, one suspects, respects its fellow.

When it comes to the man’s watch, if it must fizz with diamonds, trust the experts. Graff’s exquisite Diamond GyroGraff with its sparkling bezel and central triangular emerald for example. Dubey & Schaldenbron’s Coeur Blanc sports baguette cut diamonds, somehow reminiscent of a perfect circular ornamental surround to perhaps some monument. Well, one might say that the monument might be time itself.

watch_two

For sheer elegance, of minimalistic shape, the Da Vindice Geneve, the Vindex Tourbillon, has a honeycomb motif. The whole is in deepest black and the pointe finale…the company’s chic lily motif. Perhaps consider its stable mate, the Tourbillon Barometer watch, featuring a partial vacuum.

Watches like all accessories, although in the luxury category are objects of fashion too. Certainly, in the men’s department over the last few years or so, the trend has been for circular (of course), slightly oversized or indeed definitely so, with imposing faces and substantial cases – with a distinctly sportif air. Not sporty. And there is a difference.

Timeless slims always win, however, especially those offered by Gucci – their automatic range, effortlessly stylish. Cartier, Jaeger Le Coulter, Breguet and Patek Philippe offer elegant examples in this sector of classics.

When it comes to the shape of a watch, most would cite the circular. And it is a given that one must eschew the so-called novelty watch, as perhaps all luxury brands would attest to. But that aside, craftsmanship comes first and there are some interesting shapes and forms from some of the most established brands to consider. Look at stalwart maker, Rolex, or Ann Cleef & Arples with one of their diamond and mother of pearl pieces, or indeed the rather proud Kalparisma – a rose gold confection, set with diamonds and sporting a Hermes strap.

But whatever watch you choose, it really is worth remembering that it will almost choose you. Because of… you. They lend their personality to yours. Desmond Morris once proclaimed that if you drew a circle and placed two dots side by side, no one could not but see a face. And what does a watch have? A face. And by the by…scour any magazine, watch gallery catalogue or shop window on Bond Street and in the main, all the watches will be set to ten minutes past ten. The reason? The face has a smile.

On the hunt for your perfect watch? Take all the time you need.

If there isn’t a technical term for

A high spot of this year’s high summer was the Summer Party staged by Savile Row Style Magazine. Held at the May Fair Hotel, hard by Berkeley Square, a grand gathering of the tailoring fraternity and the tout monde of Mayfair supped Cattier Champagne and … vodka cocktails, fortified by some delicious canapés from the May Fair’s kitchens.

The occasion, sponsored by Consero, premier property developer, marked a redesign of the magazine and was hosted by new publisher, Stewart Lee of Publications UK. It proved to be a Very Good Party, the tailors turning out in strength and with many of their illustrious customers attending.

A video covering the long history of the Row up to the present day, put together by the magazine’s designer, Hitesh. Chauhan, proved to be a hit, featuring many old photographs and style shots that vied with the champagne for attention. There were displays of bespoke garments on stands as well on the guests.

Celebrated poet, John Cooper Clark, gave an impromptu address. He came hot foot from being one of the star acts at the Glastonbury Festival and revealed his love of bespoke clothes and respect for those who make it.

In a short address, Stewart Lee emphasised his commitment to developing the magazine and maintaining its focus on Savile Row. Editor Marie Scott invited the tailors to work with her to ensure that the Row’s bespoke craftsmanship received the recognition it is due as one of Britain’s treasures.

“Raise a glass both to Savile Row, the place, and Savile Row Style, the magazine,” she invited in conclusion. And they most certainly did.

 

DSC_6001

 

 

A high spot of this year’s high

A trilogy of shows combine to attract exhibitors and collectors from around the globe

Preceding the LAPADA show, two other major exhibitions confirmed London’s pre-eminence as the city of art and antiques.

The wonderful Masterpiece show took place early in the summer, the fifth year it has been staged, and maintaining the very high quality of exhibits presented at the preceding events.

Staged in the grounds of the Chelsea Hospital, its marquee an impressive architectural design, it concentrates on 150 carefully selected galleries from around the world. The exhibits chosen range from antiquity to the contemporary, each vetted by independent experts.

mastermooreThere really were some stunning pieces here. A ‘Torso of Venus’ dating from the 1st century BC was a particularly fine antiquity example, and a range of Chinoiserie and Japanese works illustrated the continuing interest in the Far East. Rosewood ‘flame’ chairs circa 1965 from Gordon Watson, a splendid Helmet Mask from Sierra Leone’s Sande Women’s Society, offered by Peter Petrou, and Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Domino’ sculpture, from Bowman Sculpture, were more modern pieces that managed to stand out in a crowd of fabulous works.

And the other major summer event was the Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair. The largest and longest-running of any of the London shows, it is popular with serious collectors and dealers as well as the general public and plenty of celebrities.

In addition to the wealth of art and antiques on show, the fair had a distinguished line-up of speakers for an extensive programme of events, featuring experts from around the art world. And its sister exhibition, the Winter Olympia Art & Antiques Fair takes place from November 3 – 9, and though the younger of the two events in June, has developed into an important date for collectors, with a comprehensive variety of exhibits.

A trilogy of shows combine to attract